Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc is the new leading contender to take over from Antonio Conte as Chelsea manager, according to the Sun. 

What's the story, then?

The Sun report that the Blues are failing in their attempts to snare Zinedine Zidane and that has made his former international team-mate Blanc the new man in the driving seat to replace Conte in the Stamford Bridge dug-out.

They go on to state that Blanc has also leapfrogged Maurizio Sarri in the list of candidates and that the powers that be at Stamford Bridge feel that the Frenchman is a better fit for the club.

It also states that Blanc is attractive to Chelsea because he has no compensation package and that the 52-year-old is keen to get back in at the top level after two years away.

Blanc does not have a strong philosophy

This link feels as if Chelsea have got cold feet about going bold after concerns about Sarri's past have come to light and have identified a reasonably safe option, who will not rock the boat and is keen to work under Chelsea's conditions due to his keenness to get back into management at elite level.

Blanc has top-level playing and managerial experience but he is a coach who is more of a diplomat than one who enforces a strong style of play and there are question marks over his ability to galvanise a dressing room that has just put in a putrid title defence.

He would not get the fans at Stamford Bridge excited like Sarri would have and his appointment could see the current top four get away; they are all racing forward and Blanc would not be an appointment that suggests Chelsea could make up the grand.

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